Voting and elections

Malvern Hills District Council (MHDC) has listened to concerns from Upton residents and is proposing two new, fully accessible paths at Hanley Road car park.

In the proposals, a wheelchair-friendly path would be installed to provide access to Warner's, a shop located on Hanley Road, and a second between the car park and toilets and Hanley Road, enabling access to and from Upton town centre.

Since Warner's opened in 2020, shoppers have been using a gap in their boundary wall to the adjacent car park, designed only for emergency use at times of flooding.

This short-cut meant that shoppers were using an unsurfaced access and crossing the busy car park entrance, which is used by coaches, cars and HGVs that service the household waste site. This created a health and safety issue for both Warner's and the council.

Following advice, MHDC is proposing installation of a ramp that complies with the disability legislation and accesses Hanley Road where views for both pedestrians and car park traffic are clearer. The second path provides a direct, level access to Hanley Road toilets and via ramps to the car park.

The ramp and path will cost £22k which will be funded by MHDC, with a contribution from Warner's. The proposal will be considered by the Executive Committee at its meeting on 14 February.

Cllr Peter Whatley, Portfolio Holder for Resources at Malvern Hills District Council, said: "We have understood the concerns of people who regularly use Hanley Road car park. If approved, the installation of these paths to the store will make a real difference to the residents of Upton.".

Residents within the Malvern Hills District have said they are satisfied with the area they live, local parks, and leisure facilities, according to a council survey.

Organised by Malvern Hills District Council, more than 1,400 people took part in the Annual Residents' Survey, which is a record number compared to previous years.

The survey, which ran from 21 September to 16 October 2022, asked residents for their comments on their local area, where they feel there are issues in their communities, and how satisfied they are with the council and its services.

Compared to the previous year's survey results, this year show significant improvement in perceptions across the majority of measures.

The results showed an improvement in the number of people who were satisfied with their local area as a place to live, at over 89%.

Satisfaction with service areas has improved with, Parks and Open Spaces, Waste and Recycling, and Malvern Theatres all returning satisfaction rates in excess of 90%.

Most community safety perceptions have remained at similar levels to previous years or have improved, including feelings of safety in the dark and issues with rubbish and litter lying around, which has shown improvement following some falls in 2021.

Positively, the number of respondents who have felt socially isolated and lonely at some point in the last year has also decreased from 2021, to just over 20%.

In many cases, the results are the best the council has ever achieved or are matched to the very high results seen during Covid in 2020.

This includes 'satisfaction with how the council runs things' which is now at 71%, the same as the record result recorded in 2020. The extent to which 'the council provides Value for Money' is also at its highest level with over 51% and over 65% have said that they believe the council 'acts on the concerns of residents'.

The responses to all questions, including those where residents could free type their views, will now be used to help the council decide where to focus resources through its planning for services in the future and over the coming few months.

Cllr Tom Wells Leader of Malvern Hills District Council, said: "We are very pleased with the exceptional response rate of the latest Annual Residents' Survey, which is the highest ever recorded. The results are positive overall and show a high satisfaction rate with council services and the local areas in which people live. These results are so important to us, we take into account all of the responses and comments which will all go towards council service planning. We shall not be resting on our laurels and continue to strive to provide excellent value for money in the services we provide".

Sign up to the council's email service at www.malvernhills.gov.uk/emailalerts to ensure your invitation to have your say in future consultations and surveys.

Malvern Hills District residents will for the first time need to show photo ID to vote at this year's local elections.

Residents are being urged to check they have an accepted form of photo ID ahead of polling day on Thursday, 4 May 2023 to make sure they can cast their vote.

There are many accepted forms of ID including a UK, European Economic Area (EEA) or Commonwealth passport, a driving licence issued by the UK, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or an EEA state, as well as a blue badge or an older person's bus pass. The full list of accepted photo ID can be found on the Electoral Commission website at www.electoralcommission.org.uk/voterID.

Voters will be able to use out of date ID if they are still recognisable from the photo.

There are a number of IDs that won't be accepted, these include photo ID cards issued by a workplace (including the NHS and local councils) and student cards without a PASS hologram.

Anyone who does not have one of the accepted forms of ID can apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate. These can be applied for by following the links at www.malvernhills.gov.uk/voting-and-elections. The deadline to apply for the Malvern Hills District Council (MHDC) election is 5pm on 25 April 2023, but residents are being urged to apply early if they need to.

People will need to be registered to vote first before they apply. This can be done online following the links on MHDC's elections page.

The requirement to show photo ID at a polling station was introduced by the UK Government's Elections Act, which was passed last year and comes into effect for the first time this May.

Andy Baldwin, Returning Officer for Malvern Hills District Council, said: "Residents will be electing a whole new Council in May as well as representatives on town and parish councils across the district.

"Although it may seem a long way away, I urge people to check now they have the required form of photo ID to make sure they can vote in May. If you haven't, then please apply for a Voter Authority Certificate early to make sure you don't miss out on making your voice heard through the ballot box.

"If you need help understanding the new requirement for photo ID or applying for a Voter Authority Certificate then please contact our elections team."

This year's Malvern Hills District Council election will be the first held under new ward boundaries, which means the name of the electoral ward people live in or where they usually go to vote may change.

Poll cards will be issued towards the end of March. Residents are urged to check them for the location of their polling station and more information on the photo ID requirement.

Visit www.malvernhills.gov.uk/voting-and-elections for more information or contact the elections team by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 01684 862200.

Notes:

1.Elections for Malvern Hills District Council, town and parish councils in the district are taking place on Thursday, 4 May 2023.

2.The requirement to show photo ID at the polling station, is a new requirement, introduced by the UK Government's Elections Act which was passed last year.

3.The legislation requires voters at polling stations to show an accepted form of photo ID before they receive their ballot paper. From May, voters will need to show photo ID before voting in local council elections in England, parliamentary by-elections, and police and crime commissioner elections in England and Wales. From October 2023, photo ID will be needed at UK parliamentary general elections. It will not be a requirement at local elections in Scotland or Wales, or elections to Scottish Parliament or Senedd. The requirement already exists in Northern Ireland.

4.Applications for the free ID available, called the Voter Authority Certificate, opened in January 2023.

5.To apply for the Voter Authority Certificate, voters will need to provide a photo, full name, date of birth, the address at which they are registered to vote and their National Insurance number.

6.The UK Government's Department for Levelling up, Housing and Communities is responsible for the new voter ID policy and for the free voter ID application system. Enquiries relating to the application system or the policy itself should be directed to the Department.

7.The Electoral Commission is responsible for ensuring voters are aware of the new voter ID requirement, and for supporting local authorities with the process. Questions related to the public awareness campaign should be directed to the Electoral Commission.

8.Local authorities are responsible for implementing voter ID at the local level.

Nearly £300,000 of funding will go towards supporting growth and innovation within the Malvern Hills District.

Last night (24 January), the Malvern Hills District Council Executive Committee approved funding for two projects as part of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund Investment Plan.

Up to £150,000 will go towards the delivery of the BetaDen programme and £140,000 will deliver the Worcestershire Growth Hub Service. The funding will enable the projects to be delivered until March 2025.

BetaDen is an existing programme located at the Malvern Hills Science Park which provides expertise that helps local entrepreneurs get their concept off the ground through workshops and support.

The project will continue to engage and support Malvern Hills technology entrepreneurs, businesses to commercialise their technologies, innovations with a focus on the key economic sectors, industries for the district including clean tech and net zero, and creative/digital industries.

It is predicted that the project will create up to 30 new jobs and 10 new businesses.

Worcestershire Growth Hub is a service that supports businesses at all stages of their business journey. Their aim is to help businesses develop their internal capability to improve their productivity, grow and create jobs.

The project will deliver measures to drive employment growth, research and development grants supporting the development of innovative products and services, support decarbonisation and improve the natural environment whilst growing the local economy.

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is a central pillar of the UK government's Levelling Up agenda and provides £2.6 billion of funding for local investment by March 2025.

The Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills.

Cllr Daniel Walton, Portfolio Holder for Economic Development and Tourism at Malvern Hills District Council, said: "This funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund will allow us to support businesses within the Malvern Hills District and in turn, grow our local economy. It will be an investment in local entrepreneurs who need backing to make their ideas a reality".

Phoebe Dawson, Director of Business Engagement at Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) & Worcestershire Growth Hub, said: "The LEP is delighted to have been awarded funding from Malvern Hills District Council as part of its UK Shared Prosperity Fund. This funding will allow the Growth Hub to directly support businesses across the Malvern Hills District, offering signposting and access to local, regional, and national funding and support programmes.

Luke Willetts, Deputy CEO at Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership, said: "This UK Shared Prosperity Fund commitment from Malvern Hills District Council is fantastic news for BetaDen and the growing local community of innovators and entrepreneurs. BetaDen has already supported 43 companies since launch and helped them to raise over £6m in further investment funding to accelerate their growth. We look forward to attracting more innovators and supporting them to accelerate their ideas into commercial propositions, leading to business growth and job creation opportunities".

ENDS

Note to editors:

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is a central pillar of the UK government's Levelling Up agenda and provides £2.6 billion of funding for local investment by March 2025. The Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills. For more information, visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-shared-prosperity-fund-prospectus